IRacing Motorsport Terms: R Terms
R Terms: ;# R.T. : Abbreviation for "Reaction Time". In drag racing, it refers to the time it takes for a driver to leave the starting line after the green light. This time can mean the difference between a win and loss, especially in closely matched races. ; 2. Race Director : An official appointed by a series organiser who holds ultimate authority over race operations throughout every event of a championship. The race director is the senior official present, and controls the activities of the local Clerk of the Course and marshals and the other staff appointed by the series. When appointed, they hold the responsibility of deploying the safety car and starting and stopping sessions. ; 3. Racing line : The fastest path around a circuit. ; 4. Rainout : When a race is delayed or cancelled due to rain, or the threat of rain. ; 5. Ramp run : In a practice lap, to rev the engine as far as possible without changing gears to allow engine management systems to take Lambda readings of the fuel to air ratio across a smooth engine revolution range. ; 6. Reactive suspension : A system by which the suspension is controlled by computer to maintain an optimum distance above the racing surface, regardless of forces acting upon the car and changes in the racing surface, thus maximising the aerodynamic assistance that can be gained by running the car close to the ground. Developed originally by Team Lotus in Formula One. ; 7. Relief driver : A driver who fills in for another driver in case of injury, or during a race because of exhaustion or pain. ; 8. Restart : The race is started again after a caution or other condition that stopped the race. In the case of a restart from a caution period on an oval track and most road courses, this is accomplished by the safety car pulling off the track, the green flag/light being displayed, and cars simply accelerating back to race speeds. ; 9. Reverse grid racing : when the starting order of a race is reversed, so that the driver on pole position, starts last. Occasionally reverse grid is limited to only part of the grid, for example, just the top ten positions may be reversed. Often used to increase the entertainment value of a race, mainly used when a category races several times over the course of a meeting. In midget and sprint car racing, heat races may be run as reverse grid races with a points system that gives points for cars passed as well as finishing points. At the end of the heat races, the combined total of passing and finishing points are used to determine the starting grid for the A Main, and which drivers are sent to lower events. ; 10. Ripple strip : Concrete kerb, usually placed on the inside of a corner, painted in chunks of colour, usually red and white alternately, hence the 'ripple'. ; 11. Road course ringer : (NASCAR) A driver who generally competes only on road courses as a substitute for a team's primary driver. Such drivers are no longer used by top teams in the Sprint Cup Series due to competition changes in the 21st century, but are still frequently used by lower-tier Cup teams and teams in other NASCAR series. ; 12. Roll cage : Network of metal bars that criss-cross the interior of production-based sedan-bodied racing cars. Originally created as a safety device in more recent times it has been used to connect suspension, chassis, engine to substantially increase the torsional rigidity of a race car. ; 13. Roll hoop : Looped bar protruding above and behind the drivers helmets in open wheel and prototype sports racing cars. The hoop is placed that in the event of a car rolling over in a crash the car lands on the roll hoop rather than the drivers helmet. It also makes a handy hook for cranes for removing stopped cars from dangerous positions on the circuit. ; 14. Rolling start : A starting method where moving cars start a race after the starter displays a green flag. ; 15. Roof flap : an aerodynamic piece designed to keep a car on the ground when it is traveling in reverse. ; 16. Rumble strip : Variation of ripple strip with an upward-pointed, rounded saw-tooth edge. The saw-tooth effect is to discourage competitors from kerb-hopping. The saw-tooth creates a rumble sound and feel for the competitor when driven over. ; 17. Roost : In off-road racing, the act of accelerating quickly in a corner to kick up dirt, dust, and rocks, usually in an effort to temporarily blind a trailing driver. ; 18. Run-off area : Areas off the track put aside for vehicles to leave the track in case of emergency without accident. Category:IRacing Motorsport Terms: R Terms